IN MY LADY'S GARDEN 



salmon-pink, apricot, yellow, white, and scarlet ; Ophelia, 

 Souvenir de J. H. Mangles, Virgil, Princess Alexandra, 

 Primrose, and Triumphans (in crimson-scarlet) being a good 

 selection of these plants, most of these being hybrids raised 

 by Mr. J. Veitch. 



Sparmannia africana, a tree from South Africa, will 

 blossom throughout the winter, even when quite small, 

 needing only to be kept free from frost, and liberally 

 supplied with water and liquid manure. This plant, which 

 makes rapid growth and has strong roots, should receive 

 a shift into a pot 4 inches broader across the top than the 

 last in April, and as soon as frosts are over should stand in 

 the full sunshine in the open air until October, when it will 

 again begin to open its buds. It is at all times a thirsty 

 plant, and should have rich soil, with plenty of water daily. 

 A very beautiful shrub is Mackaya Bella, a native of Natal, 

 with terminal racemes of elegant blossoms in delicate 

 lavender ; it is a rather tender plant, and does best when 

 kept under glass, except in the middle of the summer, when 

 a few weeks of sunshine and open air will help it to ripen 

 its wood. It, too, requires a large supply of moisture and 

 rich food. 



Amongst the smaller shrubs which flower in winter, 

 Libonia floribunda is conspicuous with a profusion of 

 bright blossoms in scarlet and gold. This little plant 

 should not be much pruned at any time ; its form is natu- 

 rally neat, and it blooms best when untouched with the 

 knife. Cytisus racemosus, with its fragrant yellow blossoms; 

 Tremandra ericaefolia, a beautiful little heath-like shrub 

 from Australia ; veronicas in blue, white, and crimson from 

 New Zealand ; Chironia decussata ; justicias in rich pink ; 

 poinsettias, with flaming scarlet bracts ; Boronia mega- 

 stigma, and many other beautiful winter-flowering shrubs, 

 might be added here, and a few words on their general 

 management may be useful. The beauty of all these plants 

 will depend largely on the care they have received during 

 the summer months, and as a general rule they should be 

 kept under glass (after flowering) until all danger from 



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